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Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter and actress known for hit singles such as "Love Story", "You Belong with Me", "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", "I Knew You Were Trouble","Shake It Off" and "Blank Space". She has sold 40 million albums and 130 million singles worldwide. Her work has earned her seven Grammy Awards and seven Academy of Country Music Awards, among other accolades. Swift began her career as a teenager, releasing her debut album, Taylor Swift, in 2006. Rooted in country music, the album was well received by country audiences and led to pop crossover success. Her second album, Fearless (2008), achieved international success and won many awards, including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Her success continued with Speak Now (2010) and Red (2012). In 2014, she released 1989, and received both critical and commercial success. Self-described as her first "official" pop music album—Swift explained that her previous albums were infused with a pop sentiment—''1989'' was the best-selling album in the U.S. in 2014. Outside of her music, she has acted in the films'' Valentine's Day'' (2010), The Lorax (2012) and The Giver (2014), as well as several television appearances. She is also noted for her philanthropic efforts and product endorsements. In 2015, Swift became the youngest woman ever to be included on Forbes' "100 Most Powerful Women" list, ranking at number 64. Early Life Taylor Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania. She was named after singer James Taylor. Her father, Scott Kingsley Swift, is a Merrill Lynch financial advisor. He was raised in Pennsylvania, and is the descendant of three generations of bank presidents. Her mother, Andrea Gardner (Finlay) Swift, is a homemaker who previously worked as a mutual fund marketing executive. Swift's mother, though American, spent the first 10 years of her life in Singapore before returning to the U.S. and settling in Texas; Swift's maternal grandfather was an engineer who worked throughout Southeast Asia. Swift has a younger brother named Austin. Swift spent the early years of her life on a Christmas tree farm in Cumru Township, Pennsylvania. She attended preschool and kindergarten at the Alvernia Montessori School, run by Franciscan nuns, before moving to the Wyndcroft School. The family then moved to a rented house in the suburban town of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, where she attended Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School. Swift summered at her parents' oceanfront vacation home in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, and described it as the place "where most of my childhood memories were formed". At the age of nine, Swift became interested in musical theatre and performed in four Berks Youth Theatre Academy productions. She also traveled regularly to Broadway for vocal and acting lessons. Swift later turned her attention to country music—Shania Twain's songs made her "want to just run around the block four times and daydream about everything". She spent her weekends performing at local festivals, coffeehouses, fairs, karaoke contests, garden clubs, Boy Scout meetings and sporting events. At the age of eleven, after many failed attempts, Swift won a local talent competition and was given the opportunity to appear as the opening act for Charlie Daniels at a Strausstown amphitheater. After watching a documentary about Faith Hill, Swift felt sure that she needed to go to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a music career. At the age of eleven, she traveled with her mother to Nashville to submit a demo, of Dolly Parton and Dixie Chicks karaoke covers, with record labels along Music Row. She received label rejections and realized that "everyone in that town wanted to do what I wanted to do. So, I kept thinking to myself, I need to figure out a way to be different". When Swift was about 12 years old, a computer repairman taught Swift how to play three chords on a guitar, inspiring her to write her first song, "Lucky You". She had previously won a national poetry contest with a poem titled "Monster in My Closet", but now began to focus on songwriting. In 2003, Swift and her parents started working with New York-based music manager Dan Dymtrow. With Dymtrow's help, Swift modelled for Abercrombie & Fitch as part of their "Rising Stars" campaign, had an original song included on a Maybelline compilation CD, and attended meetings with major record labels. After performing original songs at an RCA Records showcase, Swift was given an artist development deal and began making frequent trips to Nashville with her mother. To help Swift break into country music, her father transferred to the Nashville office of Merrill Lynch when she was 14, and the family relocated to a lakefront house in Hendersonville, Tennessee. My parents took all the pressure off by saying, "We're just moving because we love the area, so don't worry." They knew nothing about the industry and had no involvement in entertainment, but I was obsessed with it and so they did their research and read up about it to help me in every way they could. They're amazing people. In Tennessee, Swift attended Hendersonville High School for her freshman and sophomore years. Later, to accommodate her touring schedule, Swift transferred to the Aaron Academy, a private Christian school that offered homeschooling services. She maintained a 4.0 grade average, and completed her final two years of course work in twelve months. Career '2004–08: Career beginnings and ''Taylor Swift '''2008–10: ''Fearless '2010–12: Speak Now '''2012–14: ''Red '2014–2016: 1989 '''2017–2019: ''Reputation '2019–present: Lover Personal Life in 2009.]] '''Family Swift purchased a four-bedroom mansion in Belle Meade, Tennessee, for her parents. Swift's younger brother, Austin, is a student at the University of Notre Dame and, as of November 2014, is heavily involved in acting. 'Wealth' Swift's main residence is a six-bedroom mansion in Sandbanks a small peninsula just south of Poole, Dorset, UK. She also owns a duplex penthouse in Tribeca, New York which is believed to have cost $20 million. She also owns a detached seven-bedroom house in Hampstead, London, one bought by her husband for £46.5 million. According to Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list, released annually in the month of May, Swift earned $18 million in 2009, $45 million in 2010, $45 million in 2011, $57 million in 2012, $55 million in 2013 and $64 million in 2014. 'Relationships' Swift is married to British heavy metal singer James Harrison. They first met in Nashville in 2002 and began dating and in 2006 they became engaged and on March 1, 2008 they married in Venice, Italy. They had their first child Sophie later on in 2008, they had a second daughter Maria in 2011 before they had twins Charlene and Richard in 2014. 'Politics' Swift says she registered to vote on her 18th birthday. During the 2008 presidential campaign, she supported the Every Woman Counts campaign, aimed at engaging women in the political process, and was one of many country stars to record a public service announcement for the Vote (For Your) Country campaign. She stated: "I don't think it's my job to try and influence people which way they should vote." Following President Obama's inauguration, she told Rolling Stone that she supported the president: "I've never seen this country so happy about a political decision in my entire time of being alive. I'm so glad this was my first election." In 2010, former U.S. President George H. W. Bush attended the taping of a Swift television special in Kennebunkport, Maine, and later described Swift as "unspoiled" and "very nice." In 2012, Swift was presented with a Kids' Choice Award in recognition of her charitable work by Michelle Obama, who praised her as someone who "has rocketed to the top of the music industry but still keeps her feet on the ground, someone who has shattered every expectation of what a 22-year-old can accomplish." Swift later described the First Lady as "a role model." In a 2012 interview, Swift remarked that, although she tries to keep herself "as educated and informed as possible," she doesn't "talk about politics because it might influence other people." She has spoken of her interest in American history and has read books about Abraham Lincoln, John Adams, the Founding Fathers and Ellis Island. Swift has spent time with the Kennedy family and has spoken of her admiration for Ethel Kennedy. Discography : Main articles: Taylor Swift discography and List of songs recorded by Taylor Swift *''Taylor Swift (2006) *Fearless (2008) *Speak Now (2010) *Red (2012) *1989 (2014) *Reputation'' (2017) *''Lover'' (2019) Tours *Fearless Tour (2009–10) *Speak Now World Tour (2011–12) *The Red Tour (2013–14) *The 1989 World Tour (2015)